Your prescription glasses may look as beautiful as the day you got them, but if your nose pads have begun to yellow, or better yet build up green gunk underneath, they become unsightly when people get close to you. What can you do about this problem? Is there anything you can do to clean yellowed nose pads on your glasses?

Why Nose Pads Turn Yellow

Nose pads are made out of clear plastic. They are in constant contact with your skin, and underneath the plastic the skin often sweats. The sweat, over time, causes the nose pads to turn yellow. On average it takes about one year for the nose pads on your glasses to turn yellow, and you probably want your glasses to last longer than a year, particularly if you are paying a lot for designer eyeglass frames.

Additionally, the reaction between the acidity of the sweat and the metal of the frames can lead to a greenish buildup on the nose pads. This buildup also contains dirt and grime from your skin. It is unsightly, and also quite unsanitary if you stop to think about it.

Can It Be Cleaned?

The answer to whether or not nose pads can be cleaned is yes and no. You cannot do much for yellowed nose pads. Unfortunately, once the nose pad has turned yellow, it is permanent. However, the green gunk and grime under the nose pad can be cleaned.

One way to do this is to use a pre moistened alcohol pad . Shove the alcohol pad between the nose pad and the frame, and let some of the alcohol leak onto the nose pads. Then, rinse it off with water.

If this does not work, use a soft-bristled toothbrush, preferably a child-sized one, and scrub the nose pads. You can even remove them if you wish to get them really clean, but make sure you keep careful tabs on the screws if you do, because they are tiny.

Some people who wear eyeglasses claim that soaking them for an hour in soapy water and then rinsing them will remove the gunk that builds up under the nose pads. Again, this will not help with the yellowed plastic, but if you have buildup it is worth a try.

Consider the Alternative

If you have yellowed nose pads, you do have another alternative. Replacing the nose pads is actually quite affordable. You can pick up a nose pad repair kit at a drug store or your local optometrist, but make sure you have your glasses with you, as there are different kinds available and you will need the right ones.

To do the replacement, start by laying out your supplies on a light colored towel. This will keep the tiny pieces from sliding off of the table. Then, use a jeweler’s screwdriver to remove the old nose pads. Once they are off, use alcohol soaked pads to clean the frames near where they connect to the nose pads. You want all residue removed before you put the new pads on.

Once the glasses are clean, install the new pads using the jeweler’s screwdriver. Do so gently, as it is very easy to damage these delicate pieces. If you feel resistance when you try to screw in the new screw, take it out and start again.

When you are done, place some clear nail polish or white glue on the screw heads. This way they will not eventually slip out, but you can remove them with your screwdriver if you need to later. Do not use strong glues, as this will make it difficult to remove the nose pads when they also turn yellow. When you are done, you will have glasses that look as good as they did the day you bought them, and you will pay very little for the revamped look.

No matter how careful you are with your glasses , you are probably going to deal with a scratch or two over their lifetime. While some scratches may not bother you, as they are out of your line of sight, others create problems with your vision when they are directly where you need to look. If you are suffering from scratched lenses, you may be able to remove them with just items you have around your own home.

Plastic Versus Glass

One variable to consider when looking for a scratch repair option is whether your glasses are glass or plastic. Many of today’s lenses are made out of metal plastics, such as polycarbonate, in order to reduce the risk of breaking. These lenses also weigh far less than traditional glass lenses. Many of the scratch repair options work only on plastic lenses, so if you have glass ones you are going to struggle to repair the scratch.

For instance, many solutions you can buy to repair scratched glasses are polymer-based solutions. Polymers and plastics are both made from carbon, so when you bring them together they bond with one another, and this can effectively fill in a crack. These do not work well on glass at all. In fact, the only likely option you will find to repair a glass lens that has been scratched is to have it professionally restored, and the price of purchasing a new lens for your frames is typically more affordable.

The Toothpaste Method

One way to remove scratches from plastic designer lenses is to use toothpaste and a soft, non-abrasive cloth. Get a regular toothpaste, not one with whitening and other fancy aspects to it, and then rub it on the lens in small circles using the soft cloth. Spend about 10 seconds rubbing the toothpaste on the scratched lens. Then, use water and a new soft cloth to remove the toothpaste.

This does not always work the first time. If you still notice the scratch, repeat the process again. Keep in mind that glasses that have a coating on them will be harder to treat in this manner. You will have to use the toothpaste to rub off all of the coating, so you may wish to bypass this option on your next pair of glasses, as they also will likely get scratched.

Using Jeweler’s Rouge

Jeweler’s rouge is another product you might be able to use to remove scratches from your glasses. Choose a low abrasive jewelers rouge. Then, make a mix using two ounces of ammonia and two quarts of water. This is more of the mixture than you will need, but these measurements ensure that you get the right ratio. Use a polishing cloth to first apply the jeweler’s rouge to the scratch in a circular motion. Buff the glasses for a while until the scratch becomes less visible. Then, don some protective glasses and rubber gloves, and use the ammonia mixture to clean the glass using a soft sponge. When you are done, dry the lens completely using a lint-free, scratch-free cloth.

Final Considerations

While your designer glasses may have been expensive, part of this expense goes towards the purchase of the frames and having the glasses fitted. You may find that simply replacing the scratched lens is more affordable than you think.

If you attempt to use any of these methods to repair your scratched lens, you need to know that they could end up damaging your lens if you do them improperly, so do so at your own risk. Often lenses are coated for various reasons, including glare reduction and scratch protection, and attempting to fix a scratch will almost always damage this coating. However, if the cost of replacing your lens is out of reach, you may wish to try to repair the scratch yourself, but understand the risk if you do.

Your prescription glasses may look as beautiful as the day you got them, but if your nose pads have begun to yellow, or better yet build up green gunk underneath, they become unsightly when people get close to you. What can you do about this problem? Is there anything you can do to clean yellowed nose pads on your glasses?

Why Nose Pads Turn Yellow

Nose pads are made out of clear plastic. They are in constant contact with your skin, and underneath the plastic the skin often sweats. The sweat, over time, causes the nose pads to turn yellow. On average it takes about one year for the nose pads on your glasses to turn yellow, and you probably want your glasses to last longer than a year, particularly if you are paying a lot for designer eyeglass frames.

Additionally, the reaction between the acidity of the sweat and the metal of the frames can lead to a greenish buildup on the nose pads. This buildup also contains dirt and grime from your skin. It is unsightly, and also quite unsanitary if you stop to think about it.

Can It Be Cleaned?

The answer to whether or not nose pads can be cleaned is yes and no. You cannot do much for yellowed nose pads. Unfortunately, once the nose pad has turned yellow, it is permanent. However, the green gunk and grime under the nose pad can be cleaned.

One way to do this is to use a pre moistened alcohol pad . Shove the alcohol pad between the nose pad and the frame, and let some of the alcohol leak onto the nose pads. Then, rinse it off with water.

If this does not work, use a soft-bristled toothbrush, preferably a child-sized one, and scrub the nose pads. You can even remove them if you wish to get them really clean, but make sure you keep careful tabs on the screws if you do, because they are tiny.

Some people who wear eyeglasses claim that soaking them for an hour in soapy water and then rinsing them will remove the gunk that builds up under the nose pads. Again, this will not help with the yellowed plastic, but if you have buildup it is worth a try.

Consider the Alternative

If you have yellowed nose pads, you do have another alternative. Replacing the nose pads is actually quite affordable. You can pick up a nose pad repair kit at a drug store or your local optometrist, but make sure you have your glasses with you, as there are different kinds available and you will need the right ones.

To do the replacement, start by laying out your supplies on a light colored towel. This will keep the tiny pieces from sliding off of the table. Then, use a jeweler’s screwdriver to remove the old nose pads. Once they are off, use alcohol soaked pads to clean the frames near where they connect to the nose pads. You want all residue removed before you put the new pads on.

Once the glasses are clean, install the new pads using the jeweler’s screwdriver. Do so gently, as it is very easy to damage these delicate pieces. If you feel resistance when you try to screw in the new screw, take it out and start again.

When you are done, place some clear nail polish or white glue on the screw heads. This way they will not eventually slip out, but you can remove them with your screwdriver if you need to later. Do not use strong glues, as this will make it difficult to remove the nose pads when they also turn yellow. When you are done, you will have glasses that look as good as they did the day you bought them, and you will pay very little for the revamped look.

No matter how careful you are with your glasses , you are probably going to deal with a scratch or two over their lifetime. While some scratches may not bother you, as they are out of your line of sight, others create problems with your vision when they are directly where you need to look. If you are suffering from scratched lenses, you may be able to remove them with just items you have around your own home.

Plastic Versus Glass

One variable to consider when looking for a scratch repair option is whether your glasses are glass or plastic. Many of today’s lenses are made out of metal plastics, such as polycarbonate, in order to reduce the risk of breaking. These lenses also weigh far less than traditional glass lenses. Many of the scratch repair options work only on plastic lenses, so if you have glass ones you are going to struggle to repair the scratch.

For instance, many solutions you can buy to repair scratched glasses are polymer-based solutions. Polymers and plastics are both made from carbon, so when you bring them together they bond with one another, and this can effectively fill in a crack. These do not work well on glass at all. In fact, the only likely option you will find to repair a glass lens that has been scratched is to have it professionally restored, and the price of purchasing a new lens for your frames is typically more affordable.

The Toothpaste Method

One way to remove scratches from plastic designer lenses is to use toothpaste and a soft, non-abrasive cloth. Get a regular toothpaste, not one with whitening and other fancy aspects to it, and then rub it on the lens in small circles using the soft cloth. Spend about 10 seconds rubbing the toothpaste on the scratched lens. Then, use water and a new soft cloth to remove the toothpaste.

This does not always work the first time. If you still notice the scratch, repeat the process again. Keep in mind that glasses that have a coating on them will be harder to treat in this manner. You will have to use the toothpaste to rub off all of the coating, so you may wish to bypass this option on your next pair of glasses, as they also will likely get scratched.

Using Jeweler’s Rouge

Jeweler’s rouge is another product you might be able to use to remove scratches from your glasses. Choose a low abrasive jewelers rouge. Then, make a mix using two ounces of ammonia and two quarts of water. This is more of the mixture than you will need, but these measurements ensure that you get the right ratio. Use a polishing cloth to first apply the jeweler’s rouge to the scratch in a circular motion. Buff the glasses for a while until the scratch becomes less visible. Then, don some protective glasses and rubber gloves, and use the ammonia mixture to clean the glass using a soft sponge. When you are done, dry the lens completely using a lint-free, scratch-free cloth.

Final Considerations

While your designer glasses may have been expensive, part of this expense goes towards the purchase of the frames and having the glasses fitted. You may find that simply replacing the scratched lens is more affordable than you think.

If you attempt to use any of these methods to repair your scratched lens, you need to know that they could end up damaging your lens if you do them improperly, so do so at your own risk. Often lenses are coated for various reasons, including glare reduction and scratch protection, and attempting to fix a scratch will almost always damage this coating. However, if the cost of replacing your lens is out of reach, you may wish to try to repair the scratch yourself, but understand the risk if you do.